


Mother Knows Best

by CA_Babs



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M, Fuckurt Trope Bingo, Fuckurt Week, Gen, Kurt's Mother is Alive square, M/M, Not Blaine Friendly, Not Rachel Friendly, Pre-Relationship, high school rock band
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 20:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4679750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CA_Babs/pseuds/CA_Babs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt's mother, Annabelle Hummel, thinks two of her best music students should continue to pursue music in high school.  But the musical programs at McKinley seem scary at best.  But when she mentions two boys who are looking to start a band, Mercedes and Kurt are excited about the idea.  Especially once they find out who is starting the band.  But will Mercedes voice and Kurt's skills on the keyboards stand out in the crowd?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mother Knows Best

 

“The two of you should consider signing up for high school choir, or something,” Annabelle Hummel commented.  “It’d be a shame to not continue to let your musical talent shine in high school just because it’s no longer a required course.”  

 

Mercedes shook her head.  “I’m not so sure Mrs. Hummel.  I mean I’ll still have my lessons and sing in my church choir, but I kind of heard that the McKinley glee club is the lowest of the low socially speaking.  And that the musical is put on by all the drama geeks.”  She sighed softly.  “I’d love to try out for the Cheerios, but the coach seems like a mean hag and I’ve seen the spread in Cheerleading Nation about the current reigning National Champions.  There isn’t a single girl on that squad that looks like me.”

 

“All the more reason for there to be,” Kurt said, as he put an arm around his friend.  “Mercedes is right though mom, high school is going to be difficult enough.  We should try and join popular clubs first.”  A shudder ran through him.  “Plus that Mr. Rhyerson gave me the creeps at the McKinley open house night,” he whispered.  

 

“Me too,” Mercedes agreed.

 

“I saw two young boys putting up flyers for a band today,” Annabelle offered.  “If I remember correctly, they’re looking for a singer and a keyboard player.  It would be perfect for the two of you.” At the skeptical looks the two teens gave her, she shrugged her shoulders.   “They might be a little older than you, but they weren’t driving themselves.  So maybe they’re about to be Sophomores?”    

 

Kurt raised an eyebrow at his mother.  “And where did you see this?  And what did the boys look like?”

 

“They looked like boys.”  Annabelle laughed softly.  “One had black hair or very dark brown hair.  And the other had brown hair.  They put up their ad on the bulletin board outside the supermarket.”  She looked at the two friends.  “You could always check it out.”  

 

~~~

 

“There it is!” Mercedes exclaimed, her finger gesturing to the orange paper with some crudely drawn music notes and instruments.

 

“Awesome guitarist and drummer looking for a keyboard player and singer to round out our band,” Kurt read.  “Experience not necessary but skill is.”  He looked at Mercedes. “The audition is today.   Should we try?”

 

“It might be fun,” Mercedes agreed.  “I wonder if the boys are Jewish?  They are having the audition at that community center next to the Temple.”  

 

“I don’t know if I know any Jewish musicians; except Rachel,” Kurt said.  “But I don’t really consider her a musician.  Just a vocalist.  Do you think she’d audition?”

 

“If she saw the flyer?  Of course she would.”

 

“You don’t think she’d maybe think it was a little beneath her?” Kurt asked.

 

Mercedes laughed.  “That girl doesn’t need an excuse to sing.  And this would give her a reason to sing all the time.”

 

“Help us all if she’s seen this ad then.”

 

“We’re going to do this though right?” Mercedes asked.  “Audition for this band.”

 

Kurt was silent for a moment and then he nodded.  “You would be a shoo-in as a vocalist.”

 

She grabbed his hand and bounced in place for a moment.  “Yay!  This is so exciting.”

  
  


~~~

 

“Looks like Rachel saw the ad,” Mercedes whispered when they arrived at the community center.

 

“Looks like a lot of people did,” Kurt agreed.  He pointed to a group of three girls dressed similarly.   “Maybe they’re auditioning groupies today as well?”

 

Mercedes laughed.  “Do you know who Rachel is talking to?”  She pointed to a boy with curly hair.  

 

“Not a clue,” Kurt said, his eyes narrowing.  “But Rachel has her _‘unimpressed but secretly terrified’_ face on.”

 

A whistle broke through the din. But from where he was standing near the entrance, Kurt couldn’t see him.   “Alright listen up,”  a male voice announced.  “We didn’t expect quite so many people to show up,” he laughed slightly. “So we’re going to ask you to come sign up for a half-hour audition slot and then come back at your audition time.”

 

Kurt watched as Rachel immediately stormed over to the voice, her shrill voice echoing through the hall.  “I don’t have all day to wait around because you didn’t anticipate having many interested applicants.  I demand to have the first spot.  I have a dance lesson in an hour and a half.”

 

“Let’s just hang back for a moment,” Kurt suggested, his hand on Mercedes' arm.  “Going last could be good.  We’ll be freshest in their mind.”

 

“And they might have already made a decision by the time we finish,” she agreed.  

 

As the crowd began to clear out, Kurt finally got a glimpse of the boys that were starting the band.  He gasped, his fingers digging into his friend’s arm.  

 

“What is wrong with you Kurt?” she hissed.

 

“Look Mercedes.  Look who’s starting the band.”

 

“ _Oh!_ ”  She turned and looked at Kurt.  “Do you still want to do this?”

 

Kurt chewed on his bottom lip anxiously.  “Do you?”

 

Mercedes nodded.  “I do.  I really do.”  She pulled Kurt over to the farthest corner.  “Okay.  So let’s forget the fact that you have a _monstrous_ crush on Finn Hudson.  And let’s forget that _sometimes_ Noah Puckerman is the meanest guy in all of eighth grade.”  She exhaled a deep breath.  “They were two of the most popular boys in our middle school.  If we’re the best, if they ask us to join their band, we could become their friends.”  

 

Kurt squeezed Mercedes hand.  “I don’t know if I can handle being Finn Hudson’s _friend._ ”  He shook his head.  “High school could be so amazing if this works out.”  

 

“It really could,” Mercedes agreed.  “I don’t know why I didn’t think of Noah before when we saw the audition was being held here.”

 

“I didn’t even know Finn could play the drums, or Noah the guitar,” Kurt admitted.  

 

“Have you ever heard either of them sing before?  Like in the shower in gym class or something?”

 

Kurt rolled his eyes.  “I spent as little time as possible in the boys locker room thank you very much.  But no.  Never.”

 

Mercedes' shoulders sank a little.  “I wonder if they’re any good.”  

 

“I’ll go sign us up.”   Kurt walked up to the table the signup sheet was on, noticing the room had cleared out quite a bit, and only a couple of people were still hanging around.  Rachel was near the exit, doing vocal warm-ups and probably trying to intimidate people as they left.  He blew out a breath as he looked at the sheet.  Someone had already grabbed the last spot.   _B. Anderson_.  Under the space for skills, they’d listed singer/songwriter, piano, guitar, violin, and saxophone.  Kurt wrote his and Mercedes names in the blank spot above B. Anderson.  He wrote singer for Mercedes, and singer, piano for himself.  

 

“I didn’t know you played piano,” Finn said.  “I mean, I don’t really know much about you, but I wouldn’t have figured you for a piano player.”

 

Kurt almost dropped the pen as he looked up from the paper and into the same warm brown eyes he daydreamed about in class.  They were even warmer up close.  Plus now Kurt could see a smattering of freckles across Finn’s face.  Freckles Kurt never realized had existed before and now he knew he’d never forget.  “I, uh, yeah.  My mom gives private music lessons.”  He chewed on the corner of his lip.  “I didn’t know you played the drums.”  

 

“Cool,” Finn nodded, a smile playing on his lips.  “Since I was like eight.  One of my mom’s boyfriend’s was a drummer.  And he lived with us very briefly and I was just in awe of his kit.  Even after they broke up, my mom still bought me my own set for Christmas that year.”

 

“Cool,” Kurt repeated.  He glanced back at Mercedes, raising his eyebrows, pleading for help.  All she did was shrug, a stupid grin on her face.

 

“I’ll see you later, okay Kurt,” Finn said, as he patted the side of Kurt’s arm.  

 

Kurt turned back to look at Finn.  His eyes looked down at where Finn’s large hand almost wrapped around his bicep, and then up the taller boy’s eyes again.  “Later,” he parroted as he felt his face flush.

 

When Finn walked away Kurt brought a hand up to his incredibly warm cheek and made his way back to Mercedes.  

 

“What was that all about?” she demanded excitedly.  

 

“He didn’t know I played piano.  He knew my name, but he didn’t know I played piano.”  Kurt looked up at Mercedes.  “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the last slot.  Some one that plays a million instruments got it instead.  But we’re right before them.  At four o’clock.

 

Mercedes hugged her friend.  “Let’s get out of here then.  We can call you mom to come get us and we’ll practice something really good to wow them with.”

 

~~~

 

Kurt felt good with their audition.  The first song they’d auditioned with was Richard Marx’s _Right Here Waiting_ , which Mercedes always killed in her own true fashion.  Plus the original featured a strong piano accompaniment, and his mother had helped them work out some harmonies for both of their voices.  Kurt had been surprised when about half way through the song, Finn and Puck had joined in on their respective instruments, joining Kurt on the harmony.  They’d both applauded at the end.  

 

Finn and Puck had asked a couple of questions then.  How long they’d been singing, how long Kurt had taken piano.  Puck and Finn played a little, playing bits and pieces of little songs and seeing if Kurt and Mercedes could join in.  Which they had, mostly.  Puck had asked if they could re-do their audition song, turning it into a duet between he and Mercedes, and allowing he and Finn to play through the whole thing.  

 

Puck had surprised Kurt by shaking both their hands in the end, and telling him they’d be calling everyone tomorrow at the latest as he and Finn wanted to start rehearsals right away.  It wasn’t until they were leaving, when Kurt ran into _B. Anderson_.  It was the same guy that Rachel had seemed afraid of earlier in the day.  This was the guy that played a million instruments.  They were screwed.  

 

~~~

 

“I can’t believe we have to wait until tomorrow,” Mercedes whined, twirling her spoon into her blizzard cup.  “We were awesome Kurt.  Puck knew it, Finn knew it.”

 

"I'm sure you were," Annabelle agreed.  "That arrangement we worked on earlier was amazing.  It suited both of your talents."

 

Kurt shrugged, digging through his ice cream for the bits of strawberry cheesecake within it.  “We were awesome, for sure.  But, we’re up against Rachel.  And she’s not _not_ talented.”  He licked at the spoon.  “And that last guy; I swear Rachel looked terrified of him.  I saw his sign up; he plays  piano, guitar, violin, and saxophone.  Plus he’s a singer and songwriter.”   He shrugged.  “That would be good for a band mate right?”

 

"Maybe on paper," Kurt's mom soothed. "Sometimes how something looks on paper isn't the same as the reality of it."

 

“I bet I could still out sing him,” Mercedes countered.  

 

“Great, so maybe they’ll pick you and him.”  Satisfied that he’d picked out all the cheesecake bits, Kurt pushed the rest of the ice cream away and folded his arms over his chest.  

 

“And if that happens, I’ll try to fix you up with your dream boy,” Mercedes admitted.  “Assuming he’s interested.”  

 

Kurt put his head down on the table and sighed.  “He needs to spend time with me.  To realize how great I am.  How great we’d be together.”

 

“If he's the right guy he'll realize it sooner or later," Annabelle said.  She rubbed Kurt’s back.  

 

“Want me to see if I can stay over tonight?  We can do facials and a couple of movies,” Mercedes offered.   She looked at Kurt's mother who nodded her permission. 

 

Kurt raised his hand and waved it dismissively.  “Might as well before you become too popular to hang out with me anymore.”  He lifted his head and smiled sadly at his friend.   

 

"I'm sure it's all going to work out," Annabelle said.  "I'm going to go pick up some popcorn and the fixing for cookies for tonight.  I'll meet you at home later."

 

"Bye Mrs. Hummel."

 

"Bye Mom," Kurt waved sadly.

 

Mercedes pulled him up out of his chair and led him out of the Dairy Queen, linking her arm through his.   “That is never going to happen, Kurt Hummel.  Because you are fabulous and I’d be a fool to not hang out with you.”

 

“Even when you’re rich and famous?” he asked. 

 

“Who’s going to be rich and famous?  I mean apart from all of us, when our band takes off?” Puck asked, appearing out of nowhere.  He wrapped an arm around Mercedes, the other around Kurt, his head sticking in between them.  “This is great, us running into you like this.  Because it saves us a pair of phone calls and we can all celebrate now together,” Puck continued.  “Because Finn and I have decided the two of you are exactly what we’re looking for.  You’ve got the pipes Mercedes, and Kurt...you’re fingers are like magic or something.”  

 

“We’re …. what you’re looking for?” Kurt asked.

 

“Yeah,” Finn piped up from where he’d fallen in step with Kurt. “You guys were the only ones who auditioned with something not completely horrible.”  

 

Kurt turned to look at Finn.  “How can that be?  There were so many other auditions.  Rachel, that guy after us…”  He shook his head.  

 

“Look, Rachel can sing, no denying,” Puck admitted.  “But she sang a song we didn’t even recognize, let alone could play along to.  And what we played she barely recognized.”

 

“Plus, she’s tiny but like super scary.  And intense,” Finn added.  “Yeah we want to have a good band, but we want to have fun too, and I just don’t think she knows how to have fun, you know?”

 

Mercedes snorted.  “That’s… incredibly true.”

 

“There was this threesome of girls too,” Puck said.  “Decent singers, awesome dancers, but not a single one of them played an instrument.”  

 

“And the guy after us?” Kurt asked.  “I saw what he wrote on the sheet.”

 

Puck laughed.  “Yeah, songwriter might be a bit of a stretch.  He can sing, though.  And he can actually play all those instruments too.”

 

“But he was kind of like Rachel. Really intense, and enthusiastic,” Finn said.  “Too much so I think.”

 

“I kind of got the feeling if we let him into the group he’d just take right over and rename the band after himself.  Sing all the songs, take all the instrumental solos,” Puck explained.  “We wanted someone, or some people that we’d gel with.   And it wasn’t him.”

 

“So what is the name of the band?” Mercedes asked.  

 

“That’s something we should all decide together,” Finn said.  “After we celebrate.”  His fingers brushed against Kurt’s.

 

Puck moved around to the other side of Mercedes, slinging his arm around her shoulders again.  “You guys feel like catching a movie?”

 

“If you’re treating Puckerman,” Mercedes laughed.  

 

“I will,” Puck agreed.

 

Kurt pulled his arm from Mercedes, as his fingers brushed against Finn’s again.  He folded his arms across his chest.  “Sorry,” he murmured in Finn’s direction, slowing his steps, allowing Mercedes and Puck to pull ahead.

 

“For what?” Finn whispered, slowing to match pace with Kurt.

 

“My fingers keep…” Kurt trailed off.

 

“Oh!” Finn exclaimed softly.  “I thought it was my fingers that…”

 

Kurt looked over and noticed the red tinge in Finn’s cheeks.  He dropped the hand closest to Finn, their fingers brushing before linking together.  

 

“Better,” Finn whispered with a smile. “You were really good.  Almost too good.  I just wanted to watch you play all afternoon.”

 

Kurt beamed at Finn.  “You were really good too.  You have a great voice.  It sounds really… _se-- good_.”  

 

“Yeah?” he smiled.  “I’m really glad you’re joining our band.  It’ll give us time to hang out and get to know more about each other.”

 

Kurt nodded.  “Would you like that?”

  
“I think I’d like that a lot.”


End file.
